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Reviews
Hawaii (2013)
Not Very Good
It saddens me that queer audiences have to settle for movies like this. Two men, alone for the summer. Long glances. Melodramatic music. Waiting, waiting, waiting.
Is this our collective experience? I'm all for a slow burn, but this is way too slow. Frankly, it starts with a bad script. There has to be character development. There is very little in this movie. The same longing scenes played over and over. It's bad movie making.
I'm all for the romance, but there really isn't much in this movie. Both characters too afraid to take that first step.
We deserve better. With better movies being made with bigger budgets, I'm glad we're finally getting better movies.
Take Me Back for Christmas (2023)
Instant Classic
Ok, this is yet another variation on Its a Wonderful Life, but it's a good one. The two leads have great chemistry. The writing is crisp and smart. The plot has a nice combination of comedy and pathos. One of the big pluses for this movie is the female lead, Vanessa Lengies. Have not seen her in a Hallmark movie before. Her acting was certainly a cut above the usual journeyman performance. The emotions engendered by the performances are real and powerful. A thoroughly enjoyable outing. Hope to see more of Lenzies in futureHallmark projects. As a side note,I see that Hallmark is finally giving the audience a nice scene of a shirtless male lead. Not the first time. It's a welcome addition, whether it's Corey Sevier or Andrew Walker.
Bargain Block (2021)
So Much Black!!!!
Just stumbled across this. Ended up binging 4 episodes. Have VERY mixed feelings. As many have said, the mission of the guys is commendable. Also understand the appeal of finished remodels that aren't like every other HGTV show.
HOWEVER, I really dislike many of the designer's designs. In four episodes they finished two houses with completely black exteriors. So ugly. They also chose black for doors, porches, fireplaces on other houses. One house even had an ALL BLACK KITCHEN. Themes such as vintage circus or goth resulted in strange and unappealing (to me ) designs.
If you're decorating your own house, go as wild as you want. Each episode ends with some folks gushing as they walk through a finished project. Their praise seemed very forced. Very unbelievable.
Rebelde (2022)
A tale of two seasons put the
IFinished season 1, I see lots of reviewer 10s, which I think is way too generous. Found the characters interesting, and mostly likable. The writing let them down at times. Too many wide emotional swings.
At the end of season 1, I had two questions.. I sort of understand why the one girl suddenly went on stage with evil guy ....she was desperate for her parents approval. Dixon should have understood her motives, and not acted like she cheated on him.
As a gay guy, it was nice to see a couple of gay characters. Wondering why Luka was gay? His sexuality had nothing to do with his storyline or his character's motivations.
Maybe these questions will be answered in Season 2. Overall I liked season 1. It reminded me of The Breakfast Club, a truly superior movie.
UPDATE:
I tried finishing season 2. Couldn't get through it. While I mostly liked season 1, thought season 2 was dreadful. I lowered my overall score from 6 to 4. Season 2 put the bad in "bad melodrama." The writing was terrible.. Likeable characters were turned into a**holes. There was hardly anyone left to root for except Dixon. The new creative director of the music department was a ridiculous character. If any administrative personnel spent 10 minutes in his classroom, he would have been fired. The ridiculous character mood swings of season 1 became more numerous, bigger, and louder.
I didn't make it to the end of the season, because I found myself fast forwarding through episodes. A promising start turned into a mess.
Wellmania (2023)
Really?????
I really hated the couple of episodes I managed to watch. The humor wasn't very funny, Some of the actors were OK, but others, including the star, were pretty bad. The main character was so unlikeable I had no desire to follow what I assume would be her redemption story.
The writers and the director missed the mark by a wide margin. You have to give us someone to root for.. it's hard writing a shallow character that still has some appealing characters. That's why everyone can't do it.
Another actress and director may have been able to make something of the two dimensional script. Barber seemed oblivious to her awful personality. The hasn't got a clue attitude really irritated me.
Hanukkah on Rye (2022)
The Shop Around the Corner
A number of reviews mention this movie is similar to You've Got Mail. While true, that movie was based on the 1940 film, The Shop Around the Corner. Hanukkah on Rye has a good pedigree and is a fun movie.
The two leads have a lot of chemistry. An enemies to lovers romance is a great trope. Watching the movie did get me kind of hungry.
My one criticism is that some of the Jewish references are a little over the top. Reminded me of some goyim screen writers trying to sound Jewish, but missing the mark. Wasn't enough to stop me from watching. On the other hand, some of the references to the history of Jewish immigrants is nicely handled.
Uncoupled (2022)
Very Mixed Bag
Glad Netflix is making series about LGBTQ characters. Just wish this one could have been better. I've really enjoyed other Darren Starr series like Younger and Emily in Paris (never watched Sex and the City). Starr ultimately bears responsibility for this show's failures.
The pluses and minuses of the show's characters comes down to writing. Tish Campbell and Marcia Gay Harden play characters who seem annoying at first, but the more we get to know them, the more likable they become.
The main male characters don't fare as well. Most come across as whiny, self-centered, shallow men whose personal lives are a mess because of their own failures. By the end of the series, each of these men faced a dressing down by another character. Sometimes more than once. I suppose the writers saw this as character growth, but it really isn't. Whether these characters really change may be an open question, but I don't really care one way or the other.
The series could have been so much better.
The Holiday Sitter (2022)
Another Milestone Moment
This was Hallmark's first Christmas movie featuring two gay characters in leading roles The Christmas House also featured Jonathan Bennett as a gay character, which was. Nice, but he and his husband played more as secondary characters.
This one was about a love story. The plot was fine. The performances were pretty good. But....
I love Jonathan Bennett. He's great looking, and I've seen him give some really good performances. I have noticed that when he does comedy, he tends to go over the top. Lots of mugging and big eyes. He doesn't need it. I think a toned down performance would play better, even in a comedy. Bennett's final scenes show how good he can be.
Hallmark seems to be diversifying. Not only in types of characters, but in plots as well. I've seen a couple of new movies this year that don't feature a love story as the main plot line. It's a welcome development.
Osmosis (2019)
Disappointing Execution
So I guess this series could be summed up with the phrase, "Love is messy." An intriguing premise, an app/medical procedure, promises one can find their soul mate. There are a lot of holes in this premise, but like many sci-fi/ fantasy stories, you just have to go with it. Unfortunately, the series quickly dissolves into melodrama.
It seems everyone associated with the project are extremely miserable. We're talking about the brother and sister team who developed the technology and run the company, the company staff, the group of beta testers recruited for app trials, and even the group of wealthy investors backing the company. Let's just say, the app doesn't work all that well. The acting is uneven, but how much of that is do to the script and direction, I can't discern.
At least there is somewhat of an ending, since I'm guessing further seasons of this mess are unlikely.
L'homme de sa vie (2006)
Pretentious Drivel
This was just so bad. It should be shown in film course as an example of what not to do. Watching it reminded me of a line from the 1932 movie "Grand Hotel," where Greta Garbo says " People come, people go; nothing ever happens." Ostensibly about the evolving relationship between gay Hugo and straight Frederick, the movie is littered with numerous characters and plot threads that do nothing but confuse. While beautiful to look at, the cinematographer is as confusing as whatever passes for a plot. Repetition does nothing to give meaning to shot after shot. A sad waste of the efforts of a decent cast trying to give meaning to utter BS.
Tall Girl 2 (2022)
Disappointing
I enjoyed the original Tall Girl movie. I did enjoy this sequel, but had a major disappointment. The good....many of the secondary characters were fleshed out more and showed some growth. They were interesting. The bad...The tall girl herself was kind of annoying. She couldn't figure out her love life, and the whole "doubting voice in her head" thing was stupid. The actress was as good as ever...her musical numbers were great, but the writers really let her character down.
Munich: The Edge of War (2021)
What's Past is Prologue
The review title is engraved on the National Archives building in Washington, DC. This movie is quite extraordinary. On the surface, it's about Neville Chamberlain's capitulation to Adolf Hitler regarding Germany's threats against Czechoslovakia in 1938. However, one can see comparisons to Trump, Biden, Putin, the MAGA movement, the situation in Ukraine, and the current threat to American democracy.
The Royal Treatment (2022)
Could Have Been Better
Hallmark has done these Prince romcoms to death. This one was ok, but could have been better. While the two leads were fine, why were so many of the secondary characters written as such big buffoons? Not the actors fault, but the writers and director could have elevated the whole production to something much better.$
October Faction (2020)
Who are the Real Monsters?
Some interesting ideas, but sloppy execution prevents this series from being as good as it could be. The acting is ok. The writing isn't. Lots of yelling and lots of secrets. Characters have lots of resentment at secrets kept, while keeping their own.
Episodes 1-6 seem pretty straight forward. A husband and wife team hunts and destroys monsters. Their teenage twins don't know. The family moves back to the husband's home town. While the parents carry on, their kids navigate a new school and the angst of being teenagers. I found the kids, and their story lines, to be more interesting. Strange things occur. Vampires, warlocks, magical creatures, obnoxious kids, annoying adults, a secret organization. It's a lot to take in.
Episodes 7-10 take a radical turn. Some of the good guys are revealed as the real monsters. Some of the monsters are good. Others are bad, but they have good reasons. Who will prevail? It's got kind of an ending, but clearly they expected to go on to another season. Thank goodness they didn't.
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Sadness All Around
The acting is great. However, the movie is so dark from beginning to end. There is no joy at all from anyone involved in the making of I Love Lucy (actors, writers, studio executives, sponsors). Too much is crammed into this mythical week . They should have dropped the communist story line. The movie is more successful when it s about how Lucy and Desi met .
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Bad Screenplay
A coming of age film about being a teenager. Don't know why this has gotten so many good reviews. The film is bad. The problem is the screenplay. For the first 1 and 1/2 hours, Nadine is a miserable character, full of over the top drama. Because she is so unhappy, she tries to make those around her miserable as well.
Why would we care about her? Her best friend, older brother, teacher, and possible boyfriend are the objects of her constant outbursts. If this was a serious movie, therapy would be involved. Instead, she finally has an honest moment with her brother about her insecurities. Suddenly, she is portrayed as a thoughtful considerate person. The end.
The acting is quite good from all the cast. The writer/director really needed to find a better balance for Nadine. Her transition was almost comical.
Nantucket Noel (2021)
Hallmark Needs Better Source Material
I've liked Trevor Donovan in a number of Hallmark movies, but this movie was boring and terribly derivative. How many Hallmark movies have a cold hearted developer show up to destroy a charming local site? Whether it's an Inn, a store, a park, a tree, or whatever. It's well into the double digits. This was just bad.
Home Again (2017)
What a Fun Movie
Really liked this one. Don't understand the really bad reviews. It's about a recently divorced Mom who moves back to Los Angeles, where she had grown up with her director father and actress mother. She's a bit lost as she turns 40. While out celebrating with friends, she meets three young aspiring film makers. They all party together, and end up the next morning at her really cool Hollywood home.
The three young guys end up moving into her guest house. They bond with her two daughters, and end up caring about Mom as well. There's a bit of romance, but that's not the main focus. I'd describe it as a Dramedy. It's a sweet little movie with some very nice performances.
Touch of Pink (2004)
Fun RomCom
I really liked the movie. The plot is very good, with a gay twist. The title is a play on Touch of Mink, with Cary Grant. The movie uses Kyle McLaughlin as a sort of Cary Grant imaginary friend of our hero, who is in a relationship with another man, living in London. When his Muslim mother visits from Canada, he pretends he's straight, and his boyfriend is his roommate.
I could do without the Cary Grant plot device. It gets in the way of a nice story, and the movie doesn't need it. The cast is wonderful; and, like all romcoms, the ending is a happy one.
Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas (2021)
Disappointing
I loved the original series. The whole concept was inventive. Some of the musical numbers were amazing. The story lines interesting and fun, and at times emotional.
The storyline of this special was so obvious and predictable that watching it was kind of boring. Some of the numbers were OK, but most were forgettable. The characters and actors we have come to love deserve better. An exception was the black and white version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. That was a keeper.
Single All the Way (2021)
It's OK
It's good that Netflix made a Christmas movie with gay characters in the lead. The story is predictable, which isn't news for any romcom. Two roommates visit one's family for the holidays. Urie and Chambers make a cute couple, and of course you know they'll end up together.
I did have a number of quibbles. Once home, James is set up on a blind date by his mother. It's with Luke Macfarlane, one of the hottest gay actors around. James reluctance to explore the relationship possibilities is pretty unbelievable, considering his complaints about being single. The supporting cast of characters tend to be cartoonishly written,which detracts from the movie.
This could have been much better, but I suppose baby steps are better than nothing.
The Real O'Neals (2016)
Smart and Funny
Just binged the two seasons on HULU. The writing is very good. I found myself laughing out loud a lot, which is rare for me. The jokes don't pander, and contain many cultural references. Started watching because of Martha Plimpton. Who is always brilliant. The rest of the cast is wonderful, and the plot lines are inventive. As a gay guy, I appreciate all the cameos and references (Gus Kenworthy, Jane Lynch, Cheyenne Jackson.........).
A Kiss Before Christmas (2021)
Nice Change of Pace
My headline doesn't refer to the plot, which had been done a number of times...by Hallmark as well as others. It refers to the lead actors, James Denton and Terri Hatcher. Hallmark has a nice stable of actors, but they tend to get overused. Candace Cameron Bure has made 10 Hallmark movies. It was nice to see some older actors in lead roles. (both are in their late 50s). They both did a nice job.
Back to the plot. Hallmark really needs to find some different source material. The repetitive tropes, like the ones in this movie, are really getting tiring. Does everyone always have to live in mega mansions?
Noblemen (2018)
Horrible Ending
I was enjoying most of the movie, until it spiraled down an inexplicable rabbit whole. The main character was likable, sweet, and scared. He was bullied by some classmates, and trying to deal with his same sex attraction. The chief bully was over the top in his cruelty and mood swings. Still, the movie was interesting.
Suddenly, the main character's actions became too strange to believe. The script writing was really terrible. First he made up a story about being molested by his favorite teacher, who had been nothing but supportive, if a little overbearing. From bad to worse, when he ended up murdering said teacher for no logical reason. As he pushed and held his injured teacher's head under water, he kept repeating that he had no choice. Spare me.
Holidate (2020)
Disappointing Romcom
The premise is cute. The two leads are attractive and have some chemistry. The writing isn't very good. Of course we all know that Sloan and Jackson will end up together. Getting there was kind of painful. We're just friends, we had a moment, I hate you, my finger blew off (really), my horny Aunt took my date (Kristen Chenowith deserves much better), I really hate you, we had sex, now I really really hate you. Maybe I love you. The ending was nice.